1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and implement for pulling off teeth orthodontic brackets bonded to them and, in particular, differs from removing such orthodontic brackets by manipulations other than pulling such brackets off teeth.
2. Prior Art
Prior practices for removing from teeth orthodontic brackets bonded to them have utilized prying action.
The Northcutt U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,902, issued Sept. 4, 1973, states at column 1, lines 9 to 11 that at the time of that patent there was no known tool which could accomplish the removal of onlays or brackets from teeth to which they had been cemented. The pliers disclosed in that patent included an edge 35 that pried the onlay or bracket from the tooth surface.
Three years later the Cusato U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,265, issued Oct. 19, 1976, disclosed a plier type orthodontic tool for removing orthodontic brackets by a prying action, as stated at column 1, lines 27 and 41 and column 4, lines 31 and 34.
The recent Kurz U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,587, issued Feb. 3, 1981, discloses specially constructed plyers, as stated in the Abstract, which remove brackets and tubes bonded to the surfaces of teeth by catches that extend under the edge of the bracket, as stated at column 2, lines 7 to 10 and 34 to 37.